1. Joseph D Morelle is an American politician serving as the US representative for New York's 25th congressional district since 2018.
23 Facts About Joseph Morelle
1. 2.
Speaker Sheldon Silver appointed him as majority leader of the New York State Assembly in January 2013 and Morelle served as acting speaker in the Speaker's absence.
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Joseph Morelle was elected to the United States House of Representatives for New York's 25th congressional district in November 2018 following the death of longtime Representative Louise Slaughter.
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Joseph Morelle was born in Utica, New York, to Gilbert and Juliette Joseph Morelle.
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Joseph Morelle received a bachelor's degree in political science from SUNY Geneseo in 1986.
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Joseph Morelle got his political start working for State Senator John D Perry as a constituent services representative in Rochester and legislative aide in Albany.
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Joseph Morelle failed to unseat the incumbent on the first try, but prevailed in the 1983 election.
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Joseph Morelle was reelected once before running for the New York State legislature.
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Joseph Morelle was first elected to the State Assembly in 1990.
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Joseph Morelle sponsored bills to exempt veterans from certain state licensing fees, protect their grave sites, and assist them with the civil service application process.
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In January 2001, Joseph Morelle was appointed chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development.
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Joseph Morelle worked with area leaders to develop Rochester as a center for tourism and the arts in Western New York.
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In 2005, Joseph Morelle issued a report, "Creating a State of Innovation: Unleashing The Power of New York's Entrepreneurial Economy", detailing New York's economic decline, particularly upstate, and offering numerous policy recommendations to reverse this years-long trend.
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In 2005, Joseph Morelle was elected chair of the Monroe County Democratic Committee, and held this position until 2014.
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In 1990, an acting state Supreme Court justice ruled that Joseph Morelle fraudulently obtained several signatures on nominating petitions to qualify him for an independent line on the 1990 ballot during his run for the State Assembly.
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Joseph Morelle later admitted that he allowed family members to sign the petitions for the individuals whose names appeared on them and did not personally witness the signatures, both of which are illegal.
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Joseph Morelle denied intentionally violating the law, but accepted a plea bargain in which he was found guilty of two counts of disorderly conduct.
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Joseph Morelle was sentenced to 32 hours of community service and a $25 fine.
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Joseph Morelle ran for reelection to a second full term, winning the Democratic primary against challenger and Brighton town councilwoman Robin Wilt.
20.
Joseph Morelle defeated the Republican nominee, businessman George Mitris, in the general election.
21.
On December 2,2024, Michael Hopkins, a congressional staffer for Joseph Morelle, was arrested after routine x-ray screens discovered 11 rounds of ammunition and several ammunition magazines in his bag.
22.
In 2025, Joseph Morelle was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
23.
On July 7,2024, it was reported that Joseph Morelle had expressed interest in encouraging Biden to end his bid for re-election.